1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an exercise monitor, and more particularly to an exercise expenditure monitor device and method for monitoring a user's caloric expenditure at exercise.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In the modern society, people have been living and working busily. They are inevitably always under substantial pressure. To relief pressure and for the sake of health, many people do exercise during spare time. Most people have their favorite sports and exercises. Some people prefer simple exercises like walking, jogging, running, jumping, hiking, and so on, and some people like to do exercise with exercise equipment.
Usually, when a user do exercise, he wants to measure and control the amount of exercise he takes. There are a variety of body building devices and exercisers in the market. However, the exercise equipment early developed can only provide simple functions for exercising, and are not capable to measure the amount of calorie that the user consumes. Hence, it is not easy for the exerciser to control an appropriate amount of exercise.
There are various types of body/motion signal sensing devices for a person to measure the amount of exercise taken and to monitor his personal physical conditions e.g. pedometer and heartbeat sensing device. However, most body signal sensing devices or motion signal sensing devices are only able to detect and indicate simple data. For example, a conventional pedometer can only measure the accumulated steps taken, and a conventional heartbeat sensing device can only detect the heartbeats of the user.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,491,474, a telemetric transmitter unit is disclosed. The transmitter electronics is coupled to each electrode by means of a conductive plastic layer for transmission of signal. In U.S. Pat. No. 4,513,753, a heartbeat rate indicator in the form of a wristwatch is disclosed. Moreover, U.S. Pat. No. 5,622,180 describes a device for measuring heartbeat rate that includes a wrist strap with skin contact electrodes and a coil receiver for receiving telemetrically transmitted heartbeat signals either from a wireless receiver or from the skin contact electrodes.
Also, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,371,945 and 5,164,967 disclose a pedometer for calculating a distance which a user walks, jogs or runs by electronically measuring the length of each stride taken by the use.
All of the aforesaid conventional body signal sensing devices and motion signal sensing devices are designed to have only one detecting and sensing function. That is, in practical use of these conventional sensing devices, they can detect and display only one type of signal. Body signal, for example heartbeat rate, if it is evaluated together with the exercise intensity, exercise type or exercise parameter, it is very useful and beneficial for athletes and sports fans. In fact, most of the products in market do not match the requirements in practical way.
Some producers have devoted to develop a few body signal sensing devices with multiple functions. Take for an example. U.S. Pat. No. 5,891,042 discloses a fitness monitoring device that includes an electronic pedometer which responds to a user's body motion at each step and a wireless heart rate monitor which is wirelessly coupled to the electronic pedometer. The pedometer is fitted to the user's waist and the wireless heartbeat monitoring device is fitted to the user's chest. The heartbeat signal is transmitted wirelessly to and is displayed on the pedometer. Practically, it is not easy and inconvenient for the user to view the data displayed on the pedometer.
Also, exercise monitors with calculating unit are known. Such exercise monitors are improved with expanded functions and are capable to measure the quantity of exercise. U.S. Pat. No. 6,605,044 discloses a caloric exercise monitor that is able to display either or both the calories remaining to be expended to reach the entered goal or the remaining exercise time required to reach the entered goal on a display. However, the calorie exercise monitoring device is not practical.